China’s New Defence White Paper and the PLA’s Possible Modernization Plan in 2007 The Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China released a White Paper titled "China's National Defence 2006" on December 29, 2006. Jagannath P. Panda | January 16, 2007 | IDSA Comments
Sudan Crisis: Exploring India’s Role India's interest in Sudan has grown significantly in recent years. This is reflected in India's increased trade and investments in Sudan. Two factors that have generated such interest and encouraged Indian engagement are the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005 and the soaring economy. However, delay in the implementation of the peace deal and conflict in western and eastern Sudan pose serious challenges to the huge Indian interest. This paper examines India's role and interest in the context of the ongoing crisis in Sudan. Nivedita Ray | January 2007 | Strategic Analysis
Japan’s Contemporary Nationalism: Trends and Politico-Security Drivers Contemporary Japanese nationalism is the principal force behind Japan's gradual shift towards 'normal' statehood and what has been called as 'reluctant realism'. The nature and content of this nationalism is, however, very much dissimilar to that which characterized its militarist past. This nationalist streak is largely elitist and assumes softer undertones as it percolates down to the masses. Arpita Mathur | January 2007 | Strategic Analysis
Security of Sea Lines: Prospects for India-Japan Cooperation Ensuring access to crude oil and natural gas forms a crucial component of India's security calculus. It also critically underlines the significance of sea transportation through which much of these vital resources are traded. With India virtually insular in terms of its land communications, its trade interests are increasingly focused on the maritime domain. Gurpreet S Khurana | January 2007 | Strategic Analysis
Ballistic Missile Defence: Perspectives on India-Japan Cooperation Both India and Japan have evinced interest in deploying defences against ballistic missiles because of the threat they pose. Significantly, both have shifted their stance on US Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD), from previous opposition to active support. Notwithstanding certain basic differences between India and Japan on the nature and degree of interest and participation at present, shared interests offer an opportunity for them to cooperate with each other on the BMD issue to further consolidate the 'strategic partnership' understanding they have evolved. G. V. C. Naidu | January 2007 | Strategic Analysis
Soft Borders and Cooperative Frontiers: India’s Changing Territorial Diplomacy Towards Pakistan and China For decades, the dominant sense in the foreign policy establishment of India was that neither the Kashmir question nor the boundary dispute with China was ripe for resolution. Yet, in defiance of this received wisdom, two very different political coalitions have opened and sustained substantive negotiations on Jammu and Kashmir and the boundary dispute with China. Forward movement in both negotiations has also been premised on opening the closed frontiers with China and Pakistan. C. Raja Mohan | January 2007 | Strategic Analysis
Counterproliferation: India’s New Imperatives and Options Despite its excellent record in the field of non-proliferation of technologies, know-how and equipment related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to other states, India has been essentially a passive actor in global non-proliferation initiatives. As a result, it does not as yet have a comprehensive framework or strategy within which it defines its anti-proliferation objectives. A. Vinod Kumar | January 2007 | Strategic Analysis
Who Won the Second Israel-Lebanon War? In the immediate aftermath of the Second Israel-Lebanon War, most observers have concluded that Israel lost its war against Hezbollah. Although at the end of 34 days of violent engagement there is no clear victor or loser, this article, on the contrary, argues that Israel succeeded in achieving the most important among its political and strategic objectives. V. Krishnappa | January 2007 | Strategic Analysis